Loving (2016)

The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.

Director:

Jeff Nichols

Writer:

Jeff Nichols

Stars:

Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 25 wins & 85 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ruth Negga	...	Mildred
Joel Edgerton	...	Richard
Will Dalton	...	Virgil
Dean Mumford	...	Drag Race Driver
Terri Abney	...	Garnet
Alano Miller	...	Raymond
Chris Greene	...	Percy (as Chris R. Greene)
Benjamin Booker	...	Shotgun Shack Musician #1
Justin Robinson	...	Shotgun Shack Musician #2
Dennis Williams	...	Shotgun Shack Musician #3
Keith Tyree	...	Bricklayer
Sharon Blackwood	...	Lola Loving
Rebecca Turner	...	Pregnant Girl
Christopher Mann	...	Theoliver
Mike Shiflett	...	Magistrate

Storyline

Richard Loving, a white construction worker in Caroline County, Virginia, falls in love with a local black woman and family friend, Mildred Jeter. Upon Mildred discovering that she is pregnant, they decide to marry, but knowing that interracial marriage violates Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws, they drive to Washington, D.C. to get married in 1958. Richard makes plans to build a house for Mildred less than a mile from her family home.

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Plot Keywords:

racial segregation | interracial couple | based on true story | virginia | supreme court | 

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Taglines:

All love is created equal.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements

Did You Know?

Trivia

The U.S. Supreme Court decision of Loving v. Virginia (388 U.S. 1, argued on April 10, 1967, and decided June 12, 1967) unanimously held that Virginia's "Racial Integrity Act of 1924," which forbade marriage between people of different races, was unconstitutional. This decision therefore effectively voided all such laws in other states as well (at the time, interracial marriage was still illegal in at least 15 other states) and was used as precedent in Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision that likewise declared all laws banning same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional.

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Goofs

Early in the film a burger joint is show in the background. Its signage is in the Apple Chicago typeface, which was not created until the early 1980s.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mildred: I'm pregnant.
Richard Loving: [long pause] Good. That's good.

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Connections

Referenced in Mike & Mike: Episode dated 24 January 2017 (2017)

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Soundtracks

Don't Be a Fool
Written by Willie Clarke and Clarence Reid
Performed by Clarence Reid
Published by Dust Index
Courtesy of Numero Group
By arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User Reviews

The story of Richard and Mildred's incredible love as it conquers racism of the south in the 1950's

Loving Review

Jeff Nicolas newest film centres around the true story of Richard and Mildred Richard, the couple that fought the supreme court to legalize interracial marriage. On the surface this story seems interesting but over done but the way Jeff Nicolas tells this story makes it incredibly unique. Instead of focusing on the big story about Civil Rights Nicolas focuses on the very personal story of Richard and Mildred. By bringing the story down to a very personal scale Nicolas told the story in a far more impacting and effective way. This movie isn't about a revolution or a grand battle this is truly a movie about two people being in love. The movie doesn't try to rant or preach it just tries to tell a human story. Ruth Negga shone in this movie. She gave an honest, and emotional performance that really made Mildred seem like a person instead of just a character. Acting against her or more accurately with her is Joel Egerton. The character of Richard is fall less emotional so therefor Joel has less opportunities to show off, instead Joel utilized the quiet moments with his character to give a strong performance. Together the pair creates a believable, balanced relationship that shows us they're in love instead of just telling us. The accents at first are distracting and can be hard to understand but as the movie continues the audience becomes more immersed in the world and it feels natural. The major issue with the movie is its repetition. Due to the nature of the story the movie hits similar points multiple times, by condensing the events the movie could have been more efficient.The movies greatest strength is it's characters. The characters never feel like roles in a movie, instead they feel like actual people. The movie shows us small yet very personal moments between the characters that really make them come to life. From simple glances to quiet laughs you really believe that these are humans with thoughts, feelings and emotion. Tis makes the audience care much more about their story and therefore become more invested in the movie. The soundtrack much like the movie is quiet yet effective. It gives the film a very distinct optimism to it. The camera work is gorgeous. It's ability to focus on details then go to sweeping landscape shots is very impressive.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Loving

Filming Locations:

Crewe's Place, Charles City County, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$159,615, 6 November 2016

Gross USA:

$7,751,969

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,957,265

Company Credits

Production Co:

Raindog Films, Big Beach Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1